Bryant a



(-No Model.)

B. A. WARD.

LADDER.

Patented Nov. 23

/Si/Z www,

flttozwm Nrrnn Srn'rns ArnNr Brion.

BRYANT A. IYARD, OF BARDWELL, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOI-IN T. DAVIS, OF SAME PLAGE.

LADDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 594,303, dated November 23, 1897.

Application filed May 28, 1897. Serial No. 638,579. (No model.)

To au whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, BRYANT A. WARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bardwell, in the county of Carlisle and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ladders; and I do declare the following to be. a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

My invention has relation to ladders; and the object of the invention is to provide a ladder which may be used either as a stepladder or as an ordinary straight ladder.

With this object in view the invention consists in certain features of construction and combination of parts, which will be hereinafter fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a perspective view of my ladder, showing the sections extended to form a straight ladder. Fig. 2 is a view of the ladder, showing the parts adjusted to form a step-ladder; and Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail View illustrating my invention.

In said drawings, A and B denote the two sections of my ladder, which are connected together by a hinge O, so that when said ladder is extended or straightened out, as shown in Fig. 2, the ends of the stiles of the sections A and B will abut.

D denotes my improved brace, which consists of a U-shaped or semicircular bar, the ends of which are bent, as shown at E, to rest upon and engage the front edges of the stiles of each section. These braces have their lower ends bolted or screwed to the stiles of the section A, while the other end projects upwardly and is adapted to receive the stiles of the section B when straightened out, as shown in Fig. 1, and securely brace said sections.

To hold the sectionsin either their straightened or folded adjustment, I provide setscrews G,which are adapted to proj ect through apertures F formed in the braces and clamp the sections of the ladder in the desired adjustment; or, if desired, I may provide the stiles of the section B with brackets J, supporting a spring-bolt I, and a spring K for shooting the bolt into the notches II Il, formed both constructions may be used, as it may be desired.

G denotes the ordinary brace for additionally holding the sections of the ladder in the position shown in Fig. 2. These braces relieve the hinges of the sections of all strain and thereby serve to greatly strengthen the ladderwhen adjusted to the folded position shown in Fig. 2 or the straight position shown in Fig. l.

Vhen. in the position shown in Fig. 2, the curved braces act as hangers, upon which buckets, baskets, and the likemay be hung, thus doing away with the usual extensionshelf commonly employed in connection with step-ladders.

Y on the outer edges of the braces. Either or l AlthoughI have specifically described the construction and relative arrangement of the Aseveral elements of my invention, I do not desire to be confined to the same, as such changes or modifications maybe made as clearly fall within the scope of my invention without departing from the spirit thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A ladder comprising two sections hinged together so that when the sections are straightened out their adjacent ends will abut, braces curved in the arc of a half-circle, the lower ends of said braces being secured to the sides of one section of the ladder and the upper ends of said braces extending over the upper end of that section of the ladder to which the lower end of the brace is attached, and having its extremity lying parallel and in line with the forward edges of the side piece of said ladder-section, and formed with an angular hook E adapted to receive the folding section of the ladder and brace the same, and a spring-bolt and thumb-screw for clamping the braces to the folding section of the ladder, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

BRYANT A. WARD.

Witnesses:

JOHN E. KANE, M. H. KANE. 

